Orange Crème Caramel Cheesecakes Recipes

ORANGE CRèME CARAMEL CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. In a small pan, bring the cream to the boil with the orange peel, then set aside to infuse. Tip 140g/5oz sugar into another saucepan with just enough water to make it sludgy. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and boil to make a darkish caramel. Add 2 tbsp of the orange liqueur (watch out as it will splutter). Leave it to settle slightly, then pour the caramel over the base of 6 x 250ml ramekins and set aside.
• Beat the cream cheese and the remaining 85g/3oz sugar together in a large bowl, then beat in the eggs and the remaining orange liqueur. Strain in the infused cream, then beat everything together to make a custard. Skim off any froth and set aside.
• Boil the kettle. Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tin. Divide the custard between them - it will only come to halfway - then bring the tin to the oven and fill with hot water from the kettle so it comes halfway up the outside of the ramekin dishes. Bake the cheesecakes for 40 mins or until just set, then remove from the oven and the tin. Leave to cool, then chill at least overnight. These can be made up to 2 days ahead and left to chill.
• Up to 2 days before serving, make the bases. Crumble the biscuits into a food processor, then blitz to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until everything is mixed. Line a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper, tip the base mix onto it, then top with another sheet of greaseproof paper. Gently roll the mix out until large enough to cut 6 bases the same size as the ramekins out of it. Chill.
• To make the caramel squiggles, heat the sugar with a little water in a saucepan and boil to make caramel, then set aside to cool slightly. Line a tray with baking parchment and grease with a little oil. Drizzle the caramel up and down so that all the strands of caramel stick together to create stars, then leave to set.
• To serve, use a cutter the same diameter as the ramekin to cut out 6 bases from the biscuit mix. Lift the bases onto 6 plates. Unmould the cheesecakes, saving the caramel sauce in the ramekin. Top the bases with the crème caramels, drizzle the sauce over and around the plates, garnish with a star and serve.

ORANGE CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL-ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 450°F. Grind crackers and sugar in processor until fine crumbs form. Add butter; process until crumbs are slightly moist. Press onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Bake until set, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, liqueur, orange peel and vanilla. Beat just until blended. Pour filling into crust-lined pan.
• Bake cake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Bake until cake is puffed, outer 2-inch edge is set and center moves just slightly when shaken, about 55 minutes longer. Transfer cake to rack. Run knife around pan sides to loosen; cool. Chill cheesecake overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• Serve with Caramel-Orange Sauce.

ORANGE CRèME CARAMELS

Steps:

• Finely grate zest from oranges, then squeeze enough juice to measure 1 cup.
• Pour juice through a fine sieve into a 2-quart heavy saucepan, discarding pulp, and stir in 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals with a brush dipped in cold water and skimming froth as necessary, until syrup begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Continue to boil, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is a deep golden caramel. Immediately divide caramel among ramekins, tilting if necessary to coat bottoms.
• Preheat oven to 325°F and line bottom of a small roasting pan with a folded kitchen towel.
• Bring milk and zest just to a simmer over moderate heat, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.
• Whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in warm milk. Pour custard through fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids. Divide custard among ramekins and arrange ramekins in roasting pan.
• Carefully add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake in middle of oven until custard is just set (but still trembles slightly in center), 50 minutes to 1 hour. Run a thin knife around side of each ramekin to loosen, then transfer ramekins to a rack and cool. Chill, loosely covered, at least 2 hours.
• To unmold, invert plates over ramekins and invert custards onto plates.